Technical Architect, Sports Design

Position Summary

The Technical Architect, Sports Design is responsible for the technical leadership, innovation, integration, documentation, and execution of complex sports and entertainment projects, including stadiums, arenas, and training facilities. This position serves as a day‑to‑day technical leader across project phases, from Concept Design through Construction Administration, and leads code review, material and systems research, specifications coordination, and construction documentation. The role is also a firm‑wide subject matter expert in the technical execution of sports venues and facilities.

Responsibilities

• Establishes the technical resolution and innovation strategy for sports and entertainment projects through all phases, consistent with project scope, schedule, budget, and SOM quality standards.
• Integrates criteria and input from architecture, structures, MEP, acoustics, AV/IT, security, vertical transportation, code, landscape, and other disciplines into coordinated design solutions for stadiums, arenas, and training facilities.
• Establishes, communicates, and maintains standards of quality for technical documentation across the full internal and external project team, and oversees implementation of the Quality Management System for assigned projects.
• Leads or oversees the research, review, and analysis of applicable building codes, accessibility requirements, life safety criteria, crowd egress, occupancy classifications, event operations requirements, and jurisdictional approvals, providing parameters and restrictions early in the design process.
• Oversees team selection and assessment of construction systems, enclosure strategies, seating bowl integration, long‑span structural coordination, premium and hospitality fit‑out requirements, and high‑performance venue components appropriate to sports facility delivery.
• Oversees and/or leads design and construction documentation, including drawings, details, specifications, technical narratives, and presentation materials, ensuring consistency with firm standards for publication and presentation of work.
• Develops, coordinates, and reviews technical specifications for venue and facility projects, including specialty systems relevant to sports environments.
• Collaborates with project leadership and specialist consultants to address venue‑specific planning issues such as spectator circulation, team operations, broadcast integration, loading and service, security zoning, event conversion, and operational resilience.
• Works closely with design leadership to ensure technical decisions support design intent, revenue‑driving program elements, operational performance, and long‑term flexibility of sports facilities.
• Oversees the team’s construction phase services scope and participates in contractor review, technical clarifications, submittal review, mockups, field observation, and issue resolution as appropriate.
• Attends and presents in owner/architect and owner/architect/contractor meetings, reviews and approves meeting minutes, and helps facilitate weekly internal project team meetings and project status updates.
• Actively participates in local and firm‑wide technical meetings and contributes meaningfully to the advancement of technical practice, standards, and knowledge‑sharing activities.
• Conducts ongoing research into sports venue trends, evolving fan expectations, athlete performance environments, materials, systems, sustainability approaches, operational technologies, and construction innovations relevant to stadiums, arenas, and training facilities.
• Maintains awareness of peer venue benchmarks, emerging market expectations, and leading‑edge delivery strategies, and translates that research into recommendations, lessons learned, technical guidance, and design opportunities for SOM teams.
• Helps develop and maintain internal knowledge resources, precedent libraries, technical standards, and market intelligence related to sports and entertainment architecture.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Actively leads multiple projects and teams.
• Serves as an office‑wide and firm‑wide resource in sports venue and facility technical design, with recognized subject matter expertise in the market.
• Directly supervises, trains, and mentors team members, helping build technical depth in sports and entertainment work across the practice.
• Engages in talent strategy to help identify, recruit, and develop specialists, leaders, and future professionals for the firm.
• Demonstrates leadership in the implementation of sustainable strategies and resilient systems in all project assignments and supports the associated development of staff knowledge.
• Creates and drives new ways of working through the development of services, standards, procedures, and technical guidance grounded in an understanding of business principles, risk management, and project delivery realities.
• Contributes to basic business development efforts as a sports venues and facilities SME, including supporting pursuits, client presentations, qualification packages, interview teams, conference participation, and market‑facing thought leadership.
• Partners with practice leaders and business development teams to help articulate SOM’s value proposition in sports design, identify relevant opportunities, and strengthen technical positioning on pursuits.
• Supports relationship‑building with clients, consultants, operators, and industry partners in the sports and entertainment sector, helping reinforce SOM’s visibility and credibility in the market.
• Represents the firm, where appropriate, in industry forums, technical panels, professional organizations, and market conversations relevant to sports and entertainment architecture.

Qualifications

• Completion of a professional degree in Architecture or a related field.
• Licensed in state of practice; LEED or other green building accreditation preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of experience or equivalent knowledge, skills and abilities, with significant experience in complex sports, entertainment, large public assembly, or similarly technical project typologies.
• Strong understanding of sustainable strategies and principles, including familiarity with LEED or other green building rating systems.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in complex, multidisciplinary projects through documentation, coordination, quality management, and construction administration.
• Demonstrates proficiency in Rhino, parametric and rendering software, Adobe Suite, and Google Workspace.
• Familiarity with Revit and AutoCAD.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is based upon experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $120,000 to $170,000.

Portfolio Requirement

Portfolio submission is required. Portfolios should be one PDF attachment, 10‑20 pages, maximum 5MB.

EEO Statement

SOM is a proud equal‑opportunity and affirmative action employer, and we have been recognized with the highest ranking awarded on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.